Apple Spice Cake

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Perfect for Fall: warm drinks, soft sweaters and my caramel apple spice cake! This cake is so simple to make and decorate but incredibly delicious.

If you find cake decorating to be a bit intimidating then check out my How to Decorate a Cake post, it has lots of helpful tips and a full how to video.

A Few Notes

• You can save some time and skip browning the butter. You’ll still love the cake BUT definitely try that brown butter sometime!
• If you’re not using 6-inch pans, double the recipe for 8-inch pans or triple the recipe for 9-inch pans.
• You can substitute sour cream for the yogurt if desired, I do it all the time and can’t really tell the difference.
• To get FLAT layers that are moist inside and out try using cake strips! You can buy a set or make your own from foil and paper towels at home. I made a whole blog post on it so check it out if you’re interested!

Feel free to pour ALL the extra caramel on your piece.

Steps to Make Apple Spice Cake

1.) Add 3/4 cup of butter to a pot and cook over medium low heat stirring occasionally until the milk solids in the butter caramelize and darken. Be careful of splatters! Once the butter has darkened transfer to a bowl and chill until almost solid. The brown butter will be slow to cool and thicken back up so make sure to do this step in advance.

2.) To make the caramel add brown sugar, cream, butter and salt to a small pot over medium-low heat and whisk until the mixture bubbles and thickens. Mix in the vanilla, transfer so a bowl and set aside to cool completely.

3.) Sift all the batter’s dry ingredients, including the sugar, in a large bowl. Whisk and set aside.

4.) Add all the batter’s wet ingredients into a medium bowl, whisk together.

5.) Peel, core and chop enough apples to have about 2 cups. Set aside and if desired squeeze the juice of half a lemon onto the apple pieces. It won’t matter if the apples brown while exposed to the air but I like the acid from the lemon juice for some contrast.

6.) Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix to combine using a spatula to fold the very thick mixture together.

7.) Add the apples in and fold to incorporate.

8.) Distribute the batter between 3 six inch pans and Bake at 350F for about 40 minutes. I’ve made this recipe with 4 six inch pans and it works nicely.

9.) To make the buttercream add the room temp (partially solidified) brown butter you made in step 1 to a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add salt and half the confectioners’ sugar and mix on low for about a minute. Add the remaining sugar, and vanilla then mix on low. Drizzle in cream until desired consistency is reached. Transfer buttercream and caramel from step 2 to piping bags and snip the tips off.

10.) Pipe buttercream onto the first layer. Drizzle caramel, then add the second layer on top. Repeat the process.

11.) Smooth the side with a bench scraper and the top with an offset spatula.

12.) Add caramel to top and smooth with an offset spatula. The caramel will drip quite easily so don’t worry about adding too much to the side.

If you’ve tried this cake then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!

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Apple Spice Cake

Moist apple cake with all the holiday spices mixed in. And of course there's a home made caramel drizzle.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Servings 8 Slices

Calories 238 kcal

Author John Kanell

Ingredients

For the Cake:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour 360g
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon 4.6g
• 1/2 tsp ginger 0.9g
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1g
• 1/2 tsp allspice 1g
• 1 Pinch ground cloves
• 1 tsp vanilla 4.9mL
• 1 tsp baking soda 4.6g
• 1 tsp salt 6.3g
• 1/2 cup coconut oil 118.2mL melted
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil 59mL
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt 59mL
• 1.5 cups sugar 192g
• 3 large eggs
• 3 to 4 apples about 2 cups cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (3 cups) I prefer honey crisp but many varieties are great.

For the Buttercream:

• 1 pound confectioner's sugar 453.5g
• 3/4 cup room temperature Butter 170g
• 1/3 cup cream 79mL
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 14.7g

For the Caramel:

• 1 cup brown sugar 200g
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter 71g
• 1/2 cup cream or half and half 118.2mL
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 14.7mL
• 1 Pinch of salt

Instructions

For the Cake:

1. Sift and whisk together the dry ingredients
2. Mix together the wet ingredients until well combined in a large bowl or stand mixer
3. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients until just combined
4. Fold in the apples
5. Divide the mixture evenly into four 6" pans, which have been buttered and floured. (I always use cake strips too)
6. Bake at 350F for approximately 40 minutes or until centers are done.

For the Buttercream:

1. Add 3/4 cup of butter to a pot and cook over medium low heat stirring occasionally until the milk solids in the butter caramelize and darken. Be careful of splatters! Once the butter has darkened transfer to a bowl and chill until almost solid. The brown butter will be slow to cool and thicken back up so make sure to do this step in advance.

2. Cream the butter in a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.

3. Add in the salt and powdered sugar gradually and beat together.

4. Add vanilla and cream until desired consistency is achieved.

For the Caramel:

1. Combine ingredients in small pot.
2. Heat over medium-low heat while whisking

3. Cook for 7-8 minutes until thickened and transfer to a bowl to cool.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

• If you’re not using 6-inch pans, double the recipe for 8-inch pans or triple the recipe for 9-inch pans.
• You can substitute sour cream for the yogurt if desired, I do it all the time and can’t really tell the difference.
• To get FLAT layers that are moist inside and out try using cake strips! You can buy a set or make your own from foil and paper towels at home. I made a whole blog post on it so check it out if you’re interested!

Nutrition Facts

Apple Spice Cake

Amount Per Serving (1 slice)

Calories 238 Calories from Fat 54

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 6g 9%

Saturated Fat 2g 10%

Polyunsaturated Fat 2g

Monounsaturated Fat 1g

Cholesterol 50mg 17%

Sodium 162mg 7%

Potassium 43mg 1%

Total Carbohydrates 22g 7%

Dietary Fiber 1g 4%

Sugars 10g

Protein 4g 8%

Vitamin A 1%

Vitamin C 1%

Calcium 1%

Iron 2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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